Thursday, August 22, 2013

Compromise is the name of the game

[This appeared in TFW on Aug 21]

Whenever
I sat fingers on the keyboard ready to communicate to the blogger
world, of late, a voice had been pinging me saying I was receiving only
selective readership. Recently, when the voice became a nuisance, I
stopped and put up my hands.

The
foolish ping thought I gave up. Little did it know that’s the power
pose. With my arms outstretched I let an extra dose of testosterone rush
in to force my inhabitants into a trial settlement. Mind – the
plaintiff and Heart – the defendant were ready for the experiment I
suggested. The headlines to my writings will be decided by the mind and
the rest by the heart.

So I began pouring out sonnets and verse and gave it sultry, steamy, oola la, headlines. Readers lol’ed over.

Compromise is the name of the game. Ah! it’s just me that’s affected.

My
friend’s daughter, who wanted to study creative arts, was forced by her
parents to study science and math combo. “Children who take arts do not
understand the seriousness of life…,” they advised. When they began
threatening, the teenager struck a deal. “Okay, but only science.”

Today, when her classmates have progressed into medical and other higher institutions, she’s yet to clear her Physics paper.

Compromise is the name of the game. Ah! It’s only a child’s future that’s screwed up.

My
cousin, who was in a relationship with a guy, was forced into an
arranged marriage. She agreed after her mom popped sleeping pills by the
dozen.

Six years and two children later, she’s been treated for chronic depression.

Compromise is the name of the game. Ah! It’s only a family that’s ruined.

When
Durga Shakti Nagpal, the fledgling IAS officer, hauled up trucks she was
abiding by the laws that she learnt. Either she is too naïve or too
righteous to look for ways out. And Akilesh Yadav is doing his duty by
the rules of the book that he has grown up on. Either he is too
frightened of his dad or too intoxicated by his power to look for ways
out.

Courtesy: Wikipedia

IAS
associations, who ought to stand by the young lady officer, choose to
stare ahead, ignoring her like a plague. Compromise, they know, is the
only name of the game. But, this affects not only the morale of
thousands of aspiring youngsters who believe in the prestigious services
but the entire nation who now feels like a pack of worms that can be
squashed by politicians.